TextExpander Tip: Try Our iOS Keyboard and One-Tap Text Snippet Keys

We built TextExpander to help you communicate smarter and type less everywhere you work, including on your iPhone and iPad. That’s why we created a way for iOS developers to add TextExpander support right into their apps. But TextExpander for iOS also has a custom keyboard with some great snippet tricks. Here are a few tips on how to enable it and get the most out of it, including one-tap snippets in any app.

How To: Set Up the TextExpander Keyboard for iPhone and iPad

If you haven’t used any third-party keyboards in iOS, it’s a pretty great feature that can enable all sorts of useful tools. Here’s how to enable ours, including a video if that’s more your style:

Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard

Under Third Party Keyboards, tap TextExpander, then one or more supported languages with which you’d like to use it

Now you’re ready to cook with gasoline. Er, type snippets with gasoline. You get the idea.

How To: Use the TextExpander keyboard

Open any app and bring up the keyboard

Tap the globe key in the lower left to cycle through your available keyboards, and stop at ours (Pro Tip: You can also tap-and-hold on the key to display a menu of available keyboards. This is especially handy if you’ve enabled a handful of keyboards)

Type your abbreviations and watch your snippets expand in all their glory (Note: our iOS keyboard currently does not support fill-in snippets, but we’re working on it)

How To: Set Up Snippets with Snippet Keys

One of the coolest features of the TextExpander Keyboard is Snippet Keys. This allows you to switch the TextExpander keyboard into a sort of “snippet board,” where the snippets you choose get their own button each, for one tap expansion. If you need help wrapping your head around the concept, check out the video (and instructions below) on how it works, because it’s pretty awesome:

Open TextExpander for iOS

Tap the Settings gear > Snippet Keys, then the (+) key to start picking snippets you’d like to have at your fingertips

Tap Done, and you should now see your list of available Snippet Keys

(Optional) Tap Edit for the option rearrange them and add more

How To: Use Snippet Keys

In any app:

Open the TextExpander Keyboard

Tap the (t) button in the lower left, next to the Space bar to switch to your Snippet Keys

Tap one to instantly expand it in the current text area

Tap the (t) button again to switch back to a keyboard layout

Yep, the TextExpander Keyboard is pretty awesome

Told you. We hope this gets you started with some of the great stuff you can do with the TextExpander Keyboard for iOS and Snippet Keys. We’d also love to hear what you think on our TextExpander support page, on Twitter @TextExpander, and LinkedIn.